New Girl
by mrs-langd0n
Summary: She stared at the three boys, two with dark brown hair and one with messy blonde curls. The latter glanced over at her, his nearly black eyes glimmering mischievously at her.
1. New Girl

**A/N: Hey guys! I just want to thank you so much for reading and reviewing my other stories. I'm so glad you like them. This is the first story I'm doing with chapters in a LONG time, so we shall see how it goes :) Enjoy!**

"Everyone, meet your newest classmate; Violet Harmon." Violet rolled her eyes as the teacher introduced her much too gleefully. Violet and her father moved to Los Angeles only a week ago, and she was forced to transfer to a new school. Violet's parents had just gone through a brutal divorce, and her mother decided to stay in Boston, but she promised Violet she would come to LA soon, after she got some things sorted out. She glanced at the students in the room scornfully, half of them not even aware that she was standing in the front of the room, they were too preoccupied chatting to each other about what Violet assumed was mindless bullshit. Some of the kids glanced at her and then looked away carelessly, and then there was the last few, who stared at her, smirking. She was the new girl, fresh meat. They would whisper to each other and then look at her, laughing to themselves. She scoffed.

"Okay, Violet, I have a seat for you right back there," the teacher gestured towards a seat in the back row, and Violet sighed gratefully. She quickly made her way to her seat and slumped into it, crossing her arms loosely over her chest. She lucked out, the people seated around her were mostly quiet, or only whispered to the person next to them. Her brown orbs flew across the room, she could hear a few boys in the corner opposite of her whispering. She stared at the three boys, two with dark brown hair and one with messy blonde curls. The latter glanced over at her, his nearly black eyes glimmering mischievously at her. The other two just continued to whisper and Violet knew they were talking about her.

They continued their staring contest for a moment before he winked at her. She felt a twist in her stomach, she couldn't deny the fact that this boy was extremely handsome, his smile was defined by his endearing dimples and his dark eyes had a hold on her light brown ones. But Violet wasn't one to be easily swayed. She flipped him off discreetly and turned her gaze to the front, not waiting for a reaction.

She could still hear their quiet laughter, but it eventually faded and she just focused on the teacher as she droned on for what seemed like an eternity.

Once the class eventually ended, Violet quickly stood up out of her chair and made her way to the door, keeping her eyes forward. She was about to let out a breath of relief but it was quickly inhaled again when she felt a hand on her arm. She whipped her head around, her long, soft locks grazing the face of the person who had grabbed her.

"Hey," it was the boy from the corner. The blonde one. His voice was like silk. "What was that about?" he nodded towards the classroom, and Violet assumed he meant her not so sweet gesture.

She pulled her arm out of his grasp and took a step back, his eyes were boring into hers as he towered above her. She released the breath she didn't realize she was holding before shrugging and turning away from him. She heard him call after her but she just picked up her pace, quickly exiting the building.

"That girl was pretty cute," Tate tapped his foot in rhythm with the music he was playing as he listened to his friend, Jack, speak. Tate definitely agreed. "What was her name again?" Jack asked, and Tate rolled his eyes. "Violet," he spoke, he liked the way her name fell from his lips. "Oh, yeah," Jack chuckled to himself. "Yeah, she's cute. Feisty, too. I bet she'd be a lot of fun," Jack nudged Tate, and Tate shrugged him off.

All Jack ever wanted was an easy lay. Never a relationship. Never anything serious. He had broken far too many girls' hearts during his high school years. And for some reason the girls always seemed to fall for him. Tate and Jack had been friends for a long time, but they were a mismatched pair. Jack was muscular, tan, dark hair, blue eyes, average height; what people would consider a 'jock' or 'meathead'. Tate was tall, lean, mussy blonde curls, and shockingly dark eyes; his style reflected that of a boy stuck in the 90s grunge era. Tate didn't really care that Jack got most of the girls, he would go for anything. Tate had never really met anyone that struck his fancy.

He had met his fair share of cute girls, but they were always boring or intolerable. There was something about Violet that caught his eye. She did have a fire, something special. Tate wouldn't let Jack have this one.

The next day came far too quickly for Violet. She despised school, especially knowing she would have to see those stupid boys again. The thing that really pissed her off was that she kept thinking about the blonde haired boy. There was just something about him, his dark eyes, his dimples, the way he stood just under a foot above her. It made her so angry, that she would even let herself find some idiot guy attractive. She would just have to ignore it, get over it. She was good at that.

Before she knew it she was back in her desk, almost a repeat from yesterday. She pulled her cardigan securely around herself and slouched in her chair. The bell rang and the boy had not yet arrived. Class began and about fifteen minutes in he decided to join. The teacher was definitely not impressed, but she looked as if she was used to it.

The boy plopped into his chair and immediately glanced over at Violet, sending her a sexy smirk. He looked away just as quickly and she took a breath. She really didn't understand how he could have such an effect on her already. Everything about him was just enticing. She shook her head.

Tate wasn't the only one that sent her glances, however. One of the dark-haired boys that sat behind him let his eyes linger on Violet for uncomfortable amounts of time. Violet regretted flipping the blonde boy off and decided it would have been better used against this guy. She rolled her eyes bluntly at him before turning away in disgust. Her eyes trailed back to the curly haired boy before settling back in the front of the room.

For the remainder of the class, he kept his gaze in the front of the classroom. It made Violet angry that she was actually bothered by the fact that he _wasn't_ looking at her. She scoffed at herself and played with a lose string on the bottom of her cardigan.

When the bell finally rang, Violet released a long breath. She glanced over at the boy who's name she still didn't know, and watched as he practically ran out of the room. The other boy trailed behind him. She frowned, she didn't really understand why she was so bothered by his lack of interest today, maybe because he was the first actually attractive, cool boy who had ever really noticed her.

She definitely couldn't let herself like him though. That would just end horribly, she knew that.

**A/N: I hope you guys liked it! I know nothing too fabulous happened yet. The chapters will be longer and much more interesting as this continues. I'm really excited, I have a lot of things planned for this story, it's gonna get crazy ;D Reviews are always appreciated! Thanks for reading! 3**


	2. Blonde Haired Boy

Violet was seated cross-legged in the grass, she wore her earbuds so she could drown out the high-pitched chatter of her schoolmates. She had a notebook sprawled out across her lap and a textbook open on the ground next to her. She twirled her shoelace around her finger as she scanned over the dull words littered across the pages of her History book. She didn't exactly dislike the class, but they never got to study anything interesting. She sighed as she scribbled notes across the lined page.

She'd been attending her new school for two and a half weeks now. She still hadn't socialized with anyone. The closest she got to that were the two boys that continued to glance at her in the classroom and pass by her in the hallways. Violet was definitely not the type to go chasing after some random boy, if the blonde boy truly liked her, he would have to step up. Otherwise, it was his loss; at least that's what she told herself.

It took her several minutes to notice the pair of black converse that were tapping on the grass right in front of her. She furrowed her brow and looked up, her eyes widening at the sight of the blonde haired boy. He raised a brow and smirked at her, clearly waiting for a response to a question she had not heard. She pulled one earbud out and took a breath.

"Uh, did you say something?" she muttered. She inwardly laughed at herself. _'Good first impression.'_

He chuckled, and it was nearly impossible for Violet not to smile at the sound; she bit her lip to stop herself.

"I was wondering if I could join you, this is usually where I study, but I suppose theres room for two," he sent her a genuine smile. She scoffed.

"You own this grass or something?" she squinted up at him, the sunlight was blinding.

He shook his head and sat down next to her, dropping a few books at his side. "Nope, and neither do you, so I guess we'll just have to get along." he grinned at her before extending his hand to her. "I'm Tate, that guy you flipped off on your first day," he smiled.

She couldn't help but let a small smile grace her features before placing her small hand in his. It was warm. "I'm-,"

"Violet. I know." he finished for her, his dark eyes shimmering.

She swallowed and nodded, retrieving her hand and removing her other earbud.

"What are you listening to?" he asked, grabbing his notebook and flipping it open before returning his gaze to her.

"Morrissey." she answered. Her gaze lingered on the boy who's name she finally discovered. _Tate._ It fit him perfectly. She realized she had never even thought of what his name might be. She liked Tate, it was the right name for him.

"Nice, he's definitely no Kurt Cobain, though," he grinned, searching for a page in his textbook. Violet finally allowed a full smile to make it's way onto her face, and it made Tate happy to see it.

They were silent for a few moments, Violet tried to distract herself with her notes but couldn't stop her eyes from drifting up to Tate. He was so different than she had imagined him to be. He wasn't some arrogant asshole like all the other guys she had ever came into contact with. He seemed genuine. He was funny, had a good taste in music, and style. And the good looks were just a bonus.

"So, why'd you move to LA?" he finally broke the silence and his eyes flew up to meet hers. She inhaled a breath before speaking.

"My parents just got divorced, mom had to take care of some things in Boston and they decided it would be best for me to come here with my dad." she rolled her eyes just thinking about it.

"Boston, huh? That's quite a change. I'm... sorry about your parents. You getting through okay?" he asked, concern lingering on his words as his eyes searched hers.

She shrugged slightly, tugging one of her sleeves farther down her arm. "Well, I guess so, yeah." Tate placed his hand on her forearm and squeezed gently, smiling at her.

"It's gonna be okay," he spoke reassuringly, and it actually made her feel safer. Her emotions felt so strange and unfamiliar with Tate, but it wasn't a bad thing.

They were interrupted before they had a chance to say anything else.

"Am I invited to this party?" Tate released a breath and rolled his eyes at the sound of Jack's voice. Jack plopped down next to the two and smirked at Violet. She scoffed and quickly put one of her earbuds back in. He laughed and tugged it back out. "Hey, don't you wanna talk to me, too? I'm much more exciting than Tate." he raised a brow at her and she felt like she was going to puke.

Tate looked at Jack, his face now doused in anger. "Now's not a good time, Jack." Tate spoke firmly, and Jack just chuckled. "Why not? It's always a good time to hang out with me," his face was too smug for Violet's liking, he was exactly the reason Violet always assumed guys were, like she always said, arrogant assholes.

"I gotta go anyway, see you around, Tate," Violet quickly grabbed her things and stood up, straightening out her long skirt before turning away. Tate sighed angrily and slammed his textbook shut.

"You just always have to fuck everything up, don't you?" Tate glared daggers at the boy next to him.

"Dude, what are you talking about? She's just some girl," Jack spoke, laughter hanging in his words. This really pissed Tate off.

"I'm warning you now, stay away from her. Go fuck one of your sluts; you've got a million. She's a nice girl. You really need to go after her too?" Tate was standing now, his chest heaving. He wasn't exactly sure why he was this angry, he and Jack rarely fought.

Jack stood up as well and held his hands up. "Just chill, okay? I was just gonna-"

"Yeah. I know what you were 'just gonna' do. Just leave her alone." Tate's black eyes were even darker, and he finally walked away, fuming.

Jack was surprised. Tate was his best friend, but friends were a dime a dozen. And when it came to girls, he always loved a challenge.


	3. Becoming Friends

The next day at school, Violet did her best to avoid Tate and Jack. Tate was really cool, but she did not want to have to deal with his stupid friend. Although it seemed that the two boys were a bit on edge with each other today, she couldn't tell for sure though. She tried to keep her eyes off of them for the entire class.

Once the day was finally over, Violet began her walk home. She reached into her bag and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, removing one and bringing it to her lips. She lit it and took a long drag. She released the smoke and immediately felt her nerves calming.

"Hey!" her pace slowed when she heard a familiar voice call out to her. She looked over her shoulder to see Tate running up to her. "Can I walk you home?" she thought for a moment and shrugged, beginning to walk again and taking another drag. He smiled and walked next to her.

"How was your day?" he asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. She released a smoky breath, "Boring." he nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. Jack can be a serious asshole." he told her, looking at her through his messy curls. She glanced at him before speaking. "Why do you even hang out with that guy?"

Tate sighed. "We've been friends for a really long time, he didn't start acting like such a douchebag until high school though. I'm getting sick of it," he mumbled.

"So, stop hanging out with him. Make time for other people, real friends," she said, sending him a smile. He smiled back instantly. "Oh yeah, like who?" She looked ahead and smiled softly, shrugging. He laughed softly. "Oh, I get it. You wanna be friends?" she scoffed at his words and tossed her cigarette to the ground.

"We'll see,"

After a few more moments they arrived at her house. "Alright, well... thanks for walking me?" she said awkwardly before gesturing towards her house.

"You live here?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. She nodded. "Is that a bad thing?" He laughed and shook his head.

"We're neighbors. I live right over there." He pointed to a house across the street. She smiled, for some reason this made her happy. "Cool." she said calmly. She crossed her arms over her chest and Tate stared at the ground for a minute.

"Well, I'll see you later," Violet spoke, taking a step closer to her house, keeping her eyes on Tate. He looked up at her and smiled. "Wanna hang out later or something?" he asked hopefully. It was worth a shot. She bit her lip and smiled. "We'll see," before turning and making her way into her house. He smiled and walked across the street, heading into his own home.

He reached his side of the sidewalk and was just about home when someone began speaking to him.

"You and Tulip done playing for today?" Jack hissed at Tate, and Tate's hands immediately clenched into fists.

"Her name is _Violet._ And what the hell, did you follow us or something?" Jack laughed, taking a few steps closer to his not-so-best friend.

"I just wanna let you know, that I'm gonna get her. So you might as well give up now." Jack's eyes gleamed proudly, as if he had just won the lottery.

Tate used the few inches he had on Jack to his advantage, staring down at him menacingly. "Stay away from her, or you're gonna regret it." He spoke through gritted teeth. He stepped closer to Jack in a threatening way before turning to go inside his house. "Get off my property," he shouted before slamming his front door.

Jack smirked to himself, making his way down the sidewalk.

Later that night, Violet was laying in her bed listening to music. She had already finished her homework and now she was left with nothing to do. She sighed heavily, sitting up on her bed and looking out her window at the house across the street. Tate's house. Her brown eyes looked around at the parts of the house she could see. She glanced in a window, at what looked to be the kitchen. She saw a woman moving around inside, she assumed it was Tate's mother.

She stood up off of her bed and moved to lean on her windowsill. She looked in the other windows before her eyes finally landed on Tate's figure. He was moving around in his room, she couldn't make out what he was doing. She watched him for a few moments before he finally opened his window and smiled when he noticed her. He waved at her. She smiled brightly and waved back.

He looked around his room for a moment before gesturing for her to come over. She thought for a moment before nodding. He grinned and closed his window. She turned and grabbed her bag off the floor before exiting her bedroom and making her way downstairs.

"Where are you off to?" Violet turned to see her dad standing in the foyer. "Over to a... friend's house." She used the term loosely. She wasn't sure if she could consider Tate a 'friend' yet. Ben smiled brightly, all he wanted was for Violet to make some friends. "Oh, have fun, Vi," he grinned before heading into his office.

Violet exited her house and quickly made her way across the street to Tate's house. She tapped gently on the front door once she arrived. It opened not two seconds later and Tate greeted her with a big smile. "Hey, come in," he moved aside and she took a few steps into his house.

He shut the door and then led her past the kitchen. She glanced in and saw the same woman from before; she had blonde hair just like Tate's and she wore a floral dress covered with a simple apron. The house smelled like fresh baked goods, and she watched as the woman pulled a tray out of the oven. "Come on," Tate spoke, and Violet followed him upstairs.

Their house was not quite as big as Violet's, but it definitely felt more like a _home._ They arrived in Tate's room and it looked like it had just been cleaned. There were still some things scattered about, but it looked just like him. She could have picked it out of a line of rooms instantly. It had a faint scent of honey and old newspapers. She couldn't describe the strange mix, but she loved it. She took a seat on the foot of his bed and looked around. Old vinyl records and posters lined the walls. She smiled.

"Your mom's baking smells awesome," she finally thought of something to break the silence. He scoffed quietly. She furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Baking is the only awesome thing about her. I mean literally, she can't cook and she's a royal bitch, just wait." he laughed and looked up at Violet. She smiled in understanding.

There was a knock on Tate's door and he rolled his eyes. "Speak of the devil," he mumbled under his breath. His mother walked in with a plate in her hand and a smile on her face. "Tate, I made some cookies for you and your little friend," she spoke, Violet immediately noticing her southern accent.

"What's your name again, dear?" she asked, setting the plate down on the nightstand.

"Violet," she told the woman. "Right," she answered, taking a few steps back. "I met your father the other day; had to welcome him to the neighborhood. You were in school, I should have known I suppose. He's a lovely man, I'm sure you take after him," she smiled before exiting the room.

Tate laughed and sent her an apologetic smile. Violet gave him a confused look. "My dad never said anything about that, I guess he's keeping secrets now," she rolled her eyes and reached for one of the cookies. "I gotta have one," she grinned at Tate and he returned it.

For the next couple hours, Tate and Violet grew close quickly. Neither of them were very open with their feelings, but maybe that's why they could be open with each other. They had a mutual, unspoken understanding between them. Violet explained why her parents had gotten a divorce, her mother suspected Ben of cheating. She was probably right, but Violet preferred to stay out of that business. Tate told her about his mother's crazy tendencies, mostly with his other siblings but it affected him too. His childhood was definitely not normal without a father and with other random men coming and going.

They hadn't even realized how late it had really gotten. Violet couldn't hold back a yawn and Tate smiled, glancing at the clock. _2:15 am. _"Holy shit," Violet spoke. "I should probably go." She was about to stand up but he grabbed her arm and she stayed seated.

"There's something I wanted to tell you," he began, his black eyes staring into hers. She barely heard what he said because she was so lost in them.

"Violet, listen to me, stay away from Jack," Violet blinked and furrowed her brow. "I'm not scared of that shithead," she scoffed and Tate shook his head. "I know... but he can be pretty crazy sometimes." Tate could too, but he would leave that alone for now. Violet raised a brow at him and shrugged. He squeezed her arm. "I'm serious, Violet. Please, he's dangerous," she stared into his dark orbs and just nodded.

After a few seconds a smile made it's way on to her face. "Not like I want anything to do with that idiot anyway. But then I want you to stay away from him too," she began. She bit her lip and dropped her gaze momentarily. "We'll just have to stick together." Tate smiled.

"I thought you'd never ask."


	4. Uncertainty

The next few weeks flew by. Violet really didn't understand where the time had gone. She had been spending a lot of her time with Tate. He continued walking her home on a daily basis, and they hung out nearly every night. Her father was so happy for her, it seemed as if she had finally met a real, genuine friend. Ben and Constance were getting along well too, and this made him encourage Violet to spend even more time with Tate.

Tate was good at hiding it from other people, but he knew that he had begun to fall for Violet. He just felt so comfortable with her, a feeling he was definitely not familiar with. She made him happy, just by being around, she didn't even have to do anything. She was intelligent, funny, and gorgeous. He decided he would keep it to himself for now though. He hadn't really gotten any signs from her that she felt the same way, and he definitely didn't want to ruin what they already had. She was his best friend, his confidant.

He was completely okay with the fact that Violet had taken Jack's place. Tate finally realized what an idiot Jack had truly become, and he didn't need that in his life. Tate found it strange, however, that Jack hadn't been to school in the past few days. He shrugged it off though, it was just one less problem for Tate and Violet.

"What are you thinking about?" Violet's voice pulled Tate back into reality. He smiled at her and shook his head. "Nothing, just spacing out I guess," he told her, before returning to what he had been doing.

She scooted closer to him and glanced out the window before looking down at what was in front of him. "That looks amazing," she promised him, and he shrugged. He was doing a landscape drawing for his art class. Violet constantly told him that he was an awesome artist, but he never thought he did good enough. Not even his perfect grades in the class made him think so. "Could be better," he sighed, and she nudged him. "Shut up, I love it. You should draw me!" she thought suddenly, letting her ideas spew from her lips.

He chuckled. "No way," he spoke, glancing out the window before sketching a few more lines on his paper. She frowned. "Why not?"

"No artist could do you justice," he spoke, looking up at the girl seated next to him. She looked down into his dark eyes and her face tinted pink. She smiled to herself and looked back out the window. He did the same.

She watched him draw for quite a while after that. It was so calming just to be with Tate and watch him like this. He looked so handsome, his blonde curls falling over his eyes and around his face, defining his jawline perfectly. His black orbs fluttered between the paper and his muse as he worked. She bit her lip and realized she was staring.

"I should probably head home and finish my homework," she told him, standing up off of his bed.

He nodded and turned to look at her. "Alright, come back when you're done so you can see this finished," he grinned. She smiled brightly. "Okay, see you later," and then she exited his home.

Once she arrived at her own home, she made her way into her bedroom and quickly hopped onto her bed. She grabbed the things she needed for her homework and began working. It didn't take long for her to get distracted, however. Her eyes slowly moved up and glanced out of her bedroom window. She could see Tate, still lying on his bed and working intently on his drawing. She continued to watch him, and she smiled.

She wasn't sure about her feelings for Tate, yet. Obviously, he was cool, sweet, funny, and incredibly handsome. But they'd only known each other for just short of two months, and she didn't want to jump into anything. She was content having him as a friend. He made her truly happy, and she loved him. But only as a friend. At least that's what she would continue to tell herself. She didn't believe in that 'love at first sight' bullshit. It took time to get to know someone.

Eventually, she returned her gaze to the books in front of her and started scribbling.

It only took Violet about an hour to finish her homework. Afterward, she decided to take a quick shower before going back to Tate's house. While doing so, she found herself using her best-smelling body wash and making sure she was extra clean. It was almost instinctual. The part of her that wanted Tate to like her and to want her was still there, and she couldn't get rid of that, even if she told herself she only wanted to be friends.

Once she was finished, she got ready quickly, brushing her hair a few more times than usual and dousing herself in a flowery scent with a hint of cherry. She straightened out her dress before glancing out her window. She could see him sitting on his bed, bobbing along to the music she assumed he was listening to. She smiled brightly, quickly moving out of her room and down the stairs. Her dad wasn't home tonight, she couldn't even remember where he said he was going, to a meeting or maybe the store. She shrugged to herself before heading outside.

She was about to cross the street when she realized she hadn't had a cigarette all day. She debated with herself, not wanting to ruin the scent that she had just put on, but decided to have one quickly. She leaned against the brick wall lining the sidewalk and quickly pulled one out of her bag and lit it. She took a long drag, holding it in for a moment before releasing it, along with a sigh.

She ran her free hand through her golden locks and looked up into Tate's window. He was walking around and after a moment he noticed her and smiled. He waved at her and she waved back, followed by a gesture that she'd be there in just a minute. He nodded and grinned, before moving away from the window.

She took a couple more drags and was about to make her way to his house when she heard something rustling a few feet away. She took a step towards it and waited. She heard it again. She dropped her cigarette to the ground next to her feet and took a few steps closer. Violet had always been fearless; she continued to walk in confidence. She stepped around the corner of the brick barrier, seeing nothing but a dark patch of grass and the bushes that had always been there. She took one last step and looked around, sighing when she didn't find anything.

She turned away to go to her previous destination. She only made it a few steps before someone grabbed her arms, pulling her back. She was about to scream but the person wrapped their arm around her mouth and pulled her against them. They held her arms behind her back. She began kicking and flailing her legs but it had no effect on the person. All she could think was, _'Please let this be a joke, please let it be Tate,'_

"I've got you now, little flower," the man whispered in her ear, and she could recognize that slimy voice anywhere. Her suspicion was proven when he turned her around and pushed her against the brick wall. Jack. She glared at him, and if looks could kill she'd be walking right over his dead body. He held her wrists together and kept his forearm on her mouth. He had a devilish smirk plastered on his face and it made her stomach churn. He removed his arm. "You smell delicious," he whispered. She gagged.

He ran his knuckles across her cheek. He let out a breathy laugh and she could smell alcohol on his breath. "You smell like the piece of shit you are," she spat.

"You might as well let me go, Tate's gonna come looking for me," she spoke confidently. He just laughed again.

"Tate's the one that put me up to this, stupid girl," he slurred, and the words made her heart hurt, but she couldn't believe this.

"Shut the fuck up. You're a liar." she said, although now her voice had a slight tremor.

He grinned and moved his face closer to hers; she immediately turned away. "How long have you known Tate? Two months? Yeah, well I've known him since we were five. That's thirteen years. I know what he's capable of." Violet closed her eyes tightly when she felt tears burning them. She should have known better.

"I also know that your daddy's not home to save you." he laughed and lifted her over his shoulder, beginning towards the backyard. Violet didn't even struggle, she was too upset. How could she have let herself get so close to Tate so quickly? She was so stupid. These thoughts repeated over and over in her mind. The tears were falling freely now. She felt so helpless.

He knelt down on the grass and set her down. "Don't move, it'll be a lot easier," he laughed, touching her hair softly.

Across the street, Tate was still just singing along to his music. He turned around and realized that it had been almost twenty minutes since Violet was supposed to be at his house. He frowned and looked out his window. She was no where to be found outside. His eyes flew over the front of her house, seeing all the lights off. He immediately knew something was wrong and quickly ran out of his room and down the stairs, swinging the door open.

"Violet?" he asked softly. He looked around his front yard and the street, seeing no sign of his best friend. He hurried across the street. He frantically searched her front yard. Nothing. He swallowed and opened the front door of her home, peeking inside. He shouted her name, but the house was completely silent.

His heart was racing as he slammed the door. "Violet!" he shouted again, his head turning right and left rapidly. He ran towards the side of the house and looked around. "Violet!"

Violet's eyes widened. It was hard for her to ignore the sick asshole that was molesting her face and hair. He had told her he wanted to 'savor this moment' and that he was gonna 'go slow on her'. She was shocked she was able to stop herself from vomiting. But she had to focus on the sound she just heard. She was sure someone said her name.

"Violet!" She was sure of it now. Jack's face contorted in anger at the sound. "Tate," she choked out. And suddenly he was in view. She let out a broken sob, realizing how terrified she actually was. Jack was going to rape her. But her feelings were mixed. Was what Jack said about Tate true? Was it some big plan all along?

Jack stood up, stumbling slightly and laughing. "Hey, asshole, come to watch?" he said in a bragging tone.

Tate was fuming. He was so angry, he almost couldn't move. His eyes fell to Violet and her broken state, and suddenly he was no longer frozen. He leaped at Jack, shoving him onto the ground and landed a hard punch directly on his jaw. Violet heard a _'crack'._ She winced and scooted away, covering her mouth with her trembling hand. Jack let out a pained cry, he attempted to fight back but was far too inebriated to do anything that would actually harm Tate. Tate continued to beat him for several moments. Violet's whole body was shaking. She shut her eyes tightly and covered her ears. She just wanted it to be over.

Finally, Tate got up off of Jack. His face was completely destroyed, covered in blood and cuts. Tate's fists didn't look much better. "Get the fuck out of here, you worthless piece of shit. If I ever see you again, I'll kill you," Tate warned. Jack struggled to stand, only making it a few steps before falling to his knees and beginning to crawl off the lawn.

Once Tate was sure that he was finally gone, he rushed to Violet. He wiped his hands on his jeans, getting most of the blood off before gently grabbing her wrists and moving them away from her face. "Violet, everything is okay now." she let out a whimper and he watched as more tears fell from her eyes. His heart shattered. She wasn't supposed to cry. She was so much stronger than that.

"God, Violet, I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry," he whispered. "I'll never let him come near you again, I swear. And if he does..." he trailed off, shaking his head. He didn't want to let his worst thoughts enter his mind. They'd never leave.

Violet pulled her hands out of his grip and scooted back on the grass. He reached for her but she backed away farther before getting on her feet. He did the same and she crossed her arms over her chest. She inhaled a shaky breath. "Just leave me alone," her voice was hoarse from the tears.

He was taken aback by her words. "W-what, but, Vi-" "Leave me alone!" she shouted, quickly turning on her heels and running into her house, not looking back at Tate.

**A/N: I'm so glad you guys are liking this story! And I have to apologize... I love cliffhangers ;D Please keep reading and reviewing; I love hearing all of your thoughts and everything like that!**


	5. No Words

Violet stayed home from school for the next few days. Her father was busy with patients and other things, so when she lied to him saying that she just didn't feel well, he bought it easily. He did, however, find it upsetting that she hadn't been spending any time with Tate either, but she used the same excuse.

Violet kept her curtains shut, closing the last chance Tate had of getting any contact with her. He was extremely upset that she hadn't been coming to school. Tate heard that Jack ended up in the hospital that night; apparently after their fight he tried to cause some problems with someone else from the high school, only getting his ass kicked worse. Tate laughed at the thought. He was glad that Jack was out of the picture for now, but that asshole had ruined his relationship with Violet. Tate was terrified that she would never talk to him again. The idiot had convinced her that Tate had something to do with the happenings the other night. And he didn't know how to make her believe him that it wasn't true. Trust took so long to build and could be ruined so quickly.

He was home now, staring out his window. His eyes watched her window that was covered now in purple curtains. He could almost cry. He wanted her back, she was the only thing that made him happy anymore. He had debated several times whether he should just go to her house. Ben liked him, at least he did before all of this. Tate hoped he hadn't found out about everything. He wanted to take care of Violet himself, he didn't need Ben's help. But if Violet's father liked him, surely he would let Tate into their house and maybe Violet would agree to talk to him. Although, he didn't want to risk making her even angrier at him.

He sighed, his leg bounced up and down slightly in an anxious manner as his eyes pleaded with the curtain to open up. It never would. He stood up and made his way to his music player, flipping it on. He grabbed his sketchbook and a pencil and sat down on his bed. He didn't hesitate, flipping the book open and immediately beginning to sketch lines all over it. He didn't know what else to do.

Several hours later, Tate let out a long breath and dropped his pencil. He hadn't stopped sketching since he began. His hand was so cramped he could barely move it, but he didn't care. He grabbed the pencil again and wrote a small note on the bottom of the paper and folded it up. He stood up once again, stretching slightly before exiting his bedroom and then his home.

He walked out of his front door and quickly made his way across the street. He took a deep breath before knocking on the front door of Violet's house. He tapped his foot anxiously while he waited. It only took a minute for Ben to open the door, he smiled brightly at Tate. He obviously didn't know about what happened.

"Tate! Come in," he motioned for him to enter. Tate politely declined. "I actually have to go, but could you just give this to Violet?" he asked, handing Ben the folded paper. Ben frowned slightly but nodded. "Sure, Tate. Say hello to your mother," Ben smiled, and Tate waved before stuffing his hands into his pockets and heading back to his house.

Once he arrived back at home, he hurried upstairs and plopped down on his bed, laying his head on his arms. He sighed heavily and just waited.

"You got a gift," Ben spoke after he knocked and opened Violet's bedroom door. She was laying silent on her bed, thinking. Ben frowned and set the paper on her nightstand before leaning down and kissing her head. He then sighed before making his way out of her room and closing the door.

She just laid there and stared for several moments. She knew who it was from, it was easy to guess. She blinked and took a long breath before sitting up and placing her hands in her lap. She bit her lip and reached for the paper, grazing her thumb over it. She was hesitant to open it, she didn't know what to expect.

She cautiously unfolded the paper. She just stared in awe once it was open. Tate drew her. Just like she wanted. And it was flawless. The spitting image of her. Her eyes followed every line; somehow trying to figure out how it could be so perfect. She couldn't, the only reason was that it's perfect because it was drawn by a perfect boy. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. Her eyes fell to the bottom of the paper and found the small note he had written:

_Violet,_

_I'm so sorry._

_I didn't mean for any of this to happen, I should have stayed away from you._

_But I don't think I can. I want to protect you, especially after what happened._

_You're everything to me._

_Please forgive me._

_-Tate._

Tears fell freely from her eyes now. She felt horrible. Tate had nothing to do with her horrible encounter with Jack. Her mind was so jumbled, she just let herself believe the asshole because she already felt so stupid for getting close to Tate so quickly. Tate still wanted to protect her though, still wanted to be just like they were. She didn't deserve him.

She set the paper on her nightstand and looked towards her window, still hidden by the purple curtains. She took a deep breath before standing up off of her bed and walking over to the window. She grabbed both sides of the curtains and slowly pulled them open. The sun was low and the sky was a soft shade of orange. She looked directly into Tate's window, and there he was.

Tate's eyes hadn't moved since he dropped the note off. He had just waited, hoping she would forgive him. His dark eyes widened when the curtains actually opened, and for a moment he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. But then he saw her; Violet. He jumped off his bed and moved to his window, looking right back at her. He forced a smile. She did the same. He thought for a moment before running out of his room. She furrowed her brow but soon figured out what he was doing when she saw him come out the front door of his home. She couldn't hide the smile that made its way onto her face. She sat down on her bed and just waited.

Tate knocked a little quicker this time, and Ben greeted him once more. "Can I go see Violet?" he asked, and Ben grinned. "Of course, Tate. She's upstairs." Tate nodded and quickly made his way past Ben and headed for the stairs. Before he knew it he was at her bedroom door. He'd only ever glanced inside, they usually hung out at his house. He tapped gently on the door, waiting.

Violet timidly made her way to the door, opening it slowly. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him standing there. She hadn't seen him up close in almost a week. He was even more handsome than she remembered, and the smile that graced his features was beautiful, his dimples defining it perfectly. She stared into his eyes for what seemed like ages, but even if it had actually been that long, she would have been okay with that.

Tate could tell that Violet had been crying. He hated it when she cried, it was the most depressing thing he'd ever seen. She was too beautiful to let her face be tainted with tears. But even so, Tate was sure this was the happiest moment of his life. The small smile on her face let him know that she had forgiven him. The thing so perfect about them was that they didn't need words, they just knew.

That helped when he reached out for her and pulled her into his arms, holding her against him, and she wrapped her arms securely around his neck. Her feet were dangling above the ground now, she was so light, he couldn't even tell she wasn't standing on her own. Not needing words also helped when Tate looked into her sparkling brown orbs for a moment before pulling her closer and touching his lips to hers. She only held him tighter, closing her eyes and moving into the kiss, feeling safe once again.


	6. Feelings

It had been nearly two weeks since Tate and Violet's first kiss. Violet thought about it every single day. She could still feel the way Tate's lips moved perfectly against hers, and the way they guided hers. She had never been kissed before, and she could never have dreamt it to be as amazing as it was. She was never much of a sappy romantic, but she remembered hearing people tell her that it's always better when you actually love the person, when there are genuine feelings involved.

Violet did have genuine, sincere feelings for Tate. She just didn't know exactly how to describe them yet. She'd never been in love with someone before, so she didn't know what it felt like when she was. Tate made her happy, made her feel warm, gave her butterflies, and he made her feel safe. But he was her best friend, what if something happened? What if they got into a relationship and it didn't work out? She didn't want to lose him, and she was truly happy with what they already had. That's what her mind told her, anyway. Violet couldn't deny, however, the way he made her heart race, and sometimes skip a beat.

Tate, on the other hand, was very aware of his feelings for Violet. He had been drawn to her from day one; the fact that she even gave him the time of day was beyond him. She was such a smart and beautiful person, there was no reason for her to be hanging around someone like him. He wasn't always the sweet guy she thought he was. For instance, if Violet hadn't been watching on the night that he kicked Jack's ass, things probably would have gotten a whole lot worse. But he hoped she would never have to see him at his worst, she may be fearless, but Tate could be pretty terrifying. Part of him wanted to stay away from Violet. He didn't want to corrupt her, make her see the world as he did; as the shit place it really was. But he couldn't stay away from her; he was in love with her.

He had been dying to tell her this. Just come out and say it. But he, too, was afraid of ruining things. After their first kiss, everything seemed so right. They had just sat on her bed, holding hands and talking the night away. He apologized for everything, and she forgave him. She apologized for actually believing what the jackass had told her, and he also forgave her. She hung the drawing he'd done of her over her nightstand, next to her bed. She re-read the note he had written nightly, smiling at his sloppy handwriting. They hadn't kissed again since then, but they were both secretly dying to do it again.

Not only had they not kissed again, but they never spoke about it. He so badly wanted to ask her if it meant anything to her, if her heart stopped the way his did when their lips met. It was all he could think about anymore; how flawless it felt to hold her in his arms, feeling her heartbeat against his chest, and when he finally closed the gap between them. All he wanted was to be with her, to kiss her and caress her and love her.

Violet had returned to school after she made up with Tate. She had fallen behind but quickly caught up again, with some help from Tate. Their school day would be ending shortly; he walked her to her last class of the day.

"What are you doing after school?" she asked him, holding her textbook against her chest. He smiled and looked down at her. "Depends. What are you doing?" he grinned. She looked up and smiled at him, shrugging. He laughed. "I gotta do some more art stuff. Wanna come over?" he asked, hopefulness dangling on his words. She nodded. "You know I love watching the artist at work," she grinned at him and they arrived at the door to her classroom. "See you after," she said before entering the room. He slid his hands into his pockets and smiled before walking away.

The thing about Tate's feelings for Violet was that, like any other teenage boy, he wanted to do a lot more with her than just kissing. You couldn't blame him, she was truly attractive. But he was entirely okay if it took a long time for them to get to that point. He loved Violet, he wanted to do whatever he could to make her happy. It wasn't the first thing on his mind, but it definitely creeped in when he stared into her big, round eyes or when her body brushed against his. He didn't mind waiting though, he'd wait forever, if he had to.

Tate's last class seemed to drag on endlessly, and when the bell finally rang he was quickly brought out of his daze. He grabbed his things and rushed out of the room to meet Violet.

He stood outside of her classroom where he usually waited, but she didn't come out. He looked inside once everyone else had left and frowned; she was no where in sight. He looked down both sides of the hallways quickly before entering the classroom, walking up to the teacher. "Did Violet leave already?" he asked, his brows furrowed from anxiety. The teacher looked at him oddly before nodding. "Yes... she was called out of class about halfway through." he answered before returning to the papers scattered across his desk.

Tate was worried now. He hurriedly exited the school building and raced home; he had to find Violet. He knew something was wrong.

After several minutes, Tate arrived at his house. He headed across the street immediately and knocked on the door. Ben answered almost instantly, a large bag of luggage in his free hand. Ben gave Tate an apathetic look.

"What's going on? Where's Violet?" Tate questioned, not even trying to hide the concern in his voice.

"Now's... not the best time, Tate," Ben was obviously upset.

"Let him in, Dad," Tate heard Violet's voice from behind Ben, and he didn't even have to see her face to know that she'd been crying.

Ben moved aside and Tate rushed in, finding Violet sitting at the dining room table, her arms crossed on the table and her forehead resting on them. He pulled a chair up next to her and sat down, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Violet... what's wrong?" he whispered. He stroked her hair gently and his dark eyes watched her tiny frame.

She sniffled quietly. "My mom... she got into a really bad car accident and she's in the hospital," she mumbled. Tate frowned at her words and it only deepened when he heard her release a broken sob. He pulled her into his lap and held her tightly against himself. She buried her face in his chest and began sobbing again. His heart was breaking.

"I'm so sorry, Violet... is she going to be okay?" he asked hopefully, although trying not to upset her even more.

She didn't answer for a moment. Eventually, she took a long breath, trying to calm herself. "We don't know," she began shakily. "we're going to Boston to see her," she whispered, and Tate could feel tears burning his eyes. She couldn't leave.

"How long will you be gone?" he asked regretfully, wrapping his arms more securely around her. He felt her shrug against him. A tear rolled down his cheek. He wiped it away quickly, he didn't want her to see him crying. She sat up slightly and her face was red, her eyes puffy. It was the saddest thing he'd ever seen. His beautiful girl weeping like this. He touched her face gently, wiping away a few tears with his thumb. She inhaled a shaky breath.

"I really hope she's okay, Violet," he murmured truthfully. No matter how much it hurt him that she was leaving, he couldn't see her like this. He did want her mother to be okay; he just wanted to see Violet smiling again.

Violet nodded at him before finally meeting his gaze. She searched his eyes, and he blinked away another set of tears. He dropped his hand from her face and wrapped his arms around her waist. She placed her hands on his arms.

"I'm going to miss you," she whispered, dropping her gaze to her hand on his arm.

Tate inhaled sharply before bringing one hand to her face once more and leaned forward. He looked into her eyes for a split second before gently touching his lips to hers. Violet felt her heart stop momentarily. She slid her arms up and around his neck, kissing him back passionately. For a few moments, they were the only two people in the world. Tate pushed his lips against hers fervently; he needed to savor this, the way her lips tasted so sweet against his when he brushed his tongue over her bottom lip gently, not asking for entrance yet, only wanting her to know how much he loved her. Tate suddenly realized how terrified he was that neither of them knew when they would see each other again. His hand slid from her face to her hair, gently tangling his fingers in it. All Tate could feel was Violet, and everything felt right. This was how it was supposed to be, and he knew. Violet felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks again. How was she supposed to just leave Tate like this?

After several long moments, they broke the kiss, both inhaling several breaths. Violet kept her eyes closed, and Tate ran his fingers through her bronze strands.

"I'm going to miss you, too, Violet. So fucking much," he whispered, pulling her against him once more for a tight hug.

After that, it was a blur. Tate vaguely remembered helping them carry a few bags to their vehicle, saying goodbye to Ben. Ben had asked him to watch over the house for them, giving him a key. Tate obliged; it would be the only way he could be close to Violet until she returned.

Tate couldn't even say the words 'good bye' to Violet. It wasn't right. They held each other for a long time, she told him that she would call him as soon as she was able to. He only nodded. Every ounce of his being wanted to kiss her again, but it would only make it harder. He also wanted to tell her that he loved her, but the words were stuck in his throat.

"Be safe. Call me soon, okay? I hope everything works out," he told her, forcing a small smile. She nodded. They hugged once more, and suddenly she was gone. He collapsed on her front lawn, sitting cross-legged as he watched their vehicle disappear into the distance.


	7. Dream Girl

Three weeks had passed since Violet had gone back to Boston. The days seemed to drag on endlessly for Tate. He spent a lot of his time in the Harmon's home, mainly Violet's room. They had only spoken on the phone a few times since she'd left. She had been in the hospital nearly the entire time she was there; she sounded so exhausted every time they spoke, she obviously wasn't getting much sleep. Her mother had gotten some slight brain trauma from the accident and was currently in a coma; the doctors did expect her to come out of it within two to three months.

The last time Tate spoke to Violet was about three days ago.

"_How are you feeling?" he had asked her, he wished he was there with her, he could hold her and make everything a little bit better._

"_I've been better..." she told him, she was seated on the floor of the hospital hallway outside of her mother's room. "I just want her to wake up," she whispered, she wanted to cry but she'd run out of tears._

"_I'm so sorry, Violet, I wish I could do something," he reassured her. Sometimes when they spoke on the phone he would close his eyes and pretend she was right next to him, but when he would reach out for her, she was never there. _

"_Me too," she replied, inhaling a shaky breath._

"_I miss you,"_

_A barely there smile made it's way onto her broken features, "I miss you, too. My dad says we are coming back on Saturday. We'll come back here in a month or so. He wants me back in school." she scoffed quietly, as if school really mattered right now._

_Tate couldn't help but smile, he wanted her back so badly. "I'll help you, you know that."_

"_I know. I have to go. I'll talk to you soon."_

"_Okay, Vi."_

Saturday was only two days away. Tate was so full of anticipation. While Violet had been gone, he drew more pictures for her. He drew pictures of her house and his house, her bedroom, and various other rooms in her house. He also drew pictures of some flowers and plants they had growing around their home. The last picture he had drawn was one of a beautiful violet. He knew that she would think it's cheesy, but he didn't care, because he knew that she would love it, regardless.

Something else that he spent his time doing was cleaning her house. He really didn't know what else to do with himself. He cleaned the kitchen and the living room. The foyer and the bathrooms. He had also straightened out Violet's room. He'd been spending so much time in there since she had left. It smelled just like her: a mixture of vanilla, honey, and fresh roses. It was the most beautiful scent he'd ever known. But it was nothing like having her in his arms, having her surround him.

He spent a lot of his time doing that, too. Thinking about her. Imagining what it would be like when she returned; when he finally got to hold her again, kiss her, touch her. He had begun sleeping in her bed while she was away. At first he was afraid she would be creeped out, but when he told her she just giggled and the sound was beautiful.

When he slept in her bed it made him feel close to her. He had dreamt about her; about kissing her and all the other things he wanted to do with her. His body ached for her. He wanted to feel every part of her, it was consuming him.

Saturday couldn't come fast enough.

"Home," Ben mustered a smile for Violet. She just looked at him before looking at the house. They were finally back from Boston. She couldn't really think about much besides her mother. The only other thing she cared about besides her mother's condition was that she was finally going to see Tate. She glanced over at his house, looking into his bedroom window. She didn't see him. She pouted a bit before they entered the house.

He took note of the fact that the house was spotless and that he would have to thank Tate. Violet rushed upstairs, quickly swinging her bedroom door open and dropping her bags on the floor. A real smile made it's way onto her face for the first time in almost a month at the sight of Tate sleeping on her bed. She was sure she'd never been so happy before. She quietly walked to the left side of her bed and looked down at his sleeping frame. She kicked off her shoes before crawling in next to him; it was so wonderful to finally be in her own bed again, especially with her favorite person next to her.

She scooted close to him and bit her lip, studying his features. She listened to his quiet breaths and admired how his long eyelashes cast tiny shadows on his cheeks. His soft blonde locks laid perfectly around his face. She gently brushed her fingertips over his cheek and the feeling of his warm skin sent chills down her spine. She moved even closer to him and began stroking his arm. He stirred slightly, letting out a yawn before his eyes fluttered open. They immediately set on Violet and a look of surprise graced his features.

"Violet?" he whispered, feeling as if he spoke any louder she would vanish.

She smiled brightly. "Hi,"

He grinned and wrapped his arm around her immediately, pulling her into him. He kissed her forehead and caressed her back gently. She sighed in content and curled into him. He inhaled the scent billowing off her hair; it was intoxicating. He feathered several kisses over her forehead and hair.

"I missed you," he barely heard her quiet words. She grabbed onto his shirt and held on tightly.

He turned so he was on his back and pulled her closer, her head on his chest. He closed his eyes and continued touching her back and hair softly.

"I missed you, Violet... I never want to be away from you again." he said quietly, taking a deep breath. His voice was raspy and it made her shiver.

"Me neither." She told him truthfully. Up until now, Violet was terrified to admit her feelings to Tate. She did love him. She was _in love _with him. And no matter how scared it made her, she couldn't deny it anymore. He actually cared about her, and that was something she never experienced from a friend before.

Tate's heart was racing. '_Now or never', _his mind repeated to him over and over again. The feeling of having her back in his arms was too good to be true. He genuinely felt like he was in a dream, and as soon as the words left his mouth he would wake up, alone in his room; the perfect dream of his perfect girl would be over. But he had to take the risk. It could turn out to be the most wonderful thing that ever happened to him, if after he told her, she would still be in his arms when he opened his dark eyes.

He tightened his hold on her and took a deep breath.

"I love you, Violet," the words fell from his lips, as if he was destined to say them his entire life. He stopped breathing for a moment, but regained his breath when he still felt her warm body next to his.

Violet's whole body went numb, it was the most unreal, yet perfect feeling in the world. She knew she didn't have to be afraid anymore.

"I love you too, Tate," she whispered, and a smiled tugged on the corners of her lips.

Tate leaned up slightly, and so did Violet. Their gazes met momentarily, only to introduce their lips. They kissed passionately, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped one arm around her middle and placed his free hand on the back of her head, gently holding her in place. For a moment, nothing else existed. Only Tate and his Violet.


	8. Girlfriend

"She's gonna live _here?_" Violet spat the words in disbelief as she stared at her father.

He only nodded and released a sigh, bringing his coffee cup to his lips, his eyes meeting Violet's over the rim. "It's for the best," he responded, looking at his daughter apathetically. She rolled her eyes and turned away, stomping up the stairs and slamming the door to her bedroom.

Nearly two months had passed since Violet and Ben had returned to Boston to see her injured mother, and she had finally awoken from her coma. Obviously, Violet was thrilled that her mom was okay and was awake even sooner than they had anticipated, but the news she had just received tainted the excitement. Vivien was going to move to Los Angeles and live with Violet and Ben. Violet could not wrap her mind around it, they were _divorced._ Why would they ever move back in together? Ben told her that it was because he still cared about her mother and wanted to help take care of her, and Violet knew that he felt as if he owed it to her. Violet also knew, however, that although she was excited to see her mom again, it would only be a dramatic and exhausting experience having the three of them living together again.

To top it all off, Jack had returned to school and was still the same annoying moron he always was. He was trying to patch things up with Tate, but he hadn't stopped sending sickening glances in Violet's direction, and she let Tate know this. Tate just ignored him for the most part, but he could only do that for so long before he began to get angry. Nothing had happened yet, but Violet knew it was only a matter of time and that if Jack didn't knock it off, there would be some turbulence between the two boys.

Violet ran a hand through her hair as she sat on her bed, her eyes scanning the items scattered across her floor. She debated with herself about cleaning them up, but instead kicked most of the things aside before making her way to her window. She placed her palms on the sill and glanced across the road, seeing Tate walking around aimlessly in his bedroom. She smiled slightly at the sight of him and it only took a moment for him to do the same. She motioned for him to come over and he didn't hesitate.

The pair hadn't exactly established their relationship as 'boyfriend and girlfriend' quite yet, although it was pretty clear, considering they had already admitted they loved each other. It had never really come up in a conversation and they just didn't need the title. Violet had to admit, however, that she wouldn't mind if they did seal the deal. She quickly moved away from the window and to her mirror, grabbing her brush and pulling it through her bronze strands a few times before taking a seat on her bed. She rested her hands in her lap, biting her lip as she waited for Tate to arrive.

It was only a few short minutes before he made her way into her bedroom, a big smile on his face.

"Hey," she greeted him, sending him a bright smile. He took a seat next to her and placed his hand on hers where they were resting, and his eyes searched her face.

"What's the matter?" he questioned calmly. He could instantly tell that something was bothering her, even through her attempts at hiding it.

Violet let out a breathy laugh at his question, but more so at how she had said one word to him and he already knew she was upset.

"My mom is moving out here," she told him, looking down at the floorboards beneath her feet.

Tate raised a brow and shrugged slightly. "Isn't that a good thing? You two used to be really close, right?" he asked, his thumb stroking the back of her hand soothingly.

She nodded. "Yeah, we are. But she's going to live with us, and I know that all they are gonna do is fight with each other and I can't handle that shit anymore," she said softly, releasing a sigh. All that her parents did for the last few months that they lived in Boston was fight endlessly, and she was worn out from dealing with them. "I just think she shouldn't stay here, or maybe I shouldn't," she murmured, lacing her fingers with his.

"You can always come stay with me," he smirked, his dark eyes lighting up a bit. She looked up at him and bit her lip, smiling through it. She could feel her cheeks tinting pink at the way he was looking at her. His eyes softened a bit. "Seriously, Vi, anytime you need to get away, I'm here," he told her reassuringly. She couldn't help but let her cheeks plump up in a smile, and he pressed a quick kiss against her lips. "Everything will work out," he told her in a promising tone, and she believed him.

Violet scooted closer to him and he wrapped his arm around her waist, pressing a kiss to the side of her head, keeping his lips close to her ear. "I can make you forget about it for a while," he whispered, and it made Violet shiver.

Tate and Violet hadn't done much besides making out and it was mainly because Violet just wasn't ready yet. Tate was extremely respectful of that fact and told her many times that he would wait until she was ready. Violet knew that he wanted to badly, however, and she just wished she wasn't so nervous about it.

"Tate," she whispered almost silently, squeezing his hand slightly. She bit her lip, feeling her cheeks turn crimson.

He heard the uncertainty in her voice and reached up, dipping his fingers under her chin and bringing her gaze up to his, his lips grazing against hers gently. "I know, Vi, it's okay. I just want to do something for you," his voice was an octave deeper than normal and it made her breath hitch. He kept their gazes locked for a moment until a tiny smile graced her features and she gave him a simple nod. He grinned at her approval and immediately pressed his lips against hers in a heated kiss.

She moved her arms around his neck and kissed him back fervently. Tate wrapped an arm securely around her waist, moving her farther back onto the bed before laying her down and hovering above her. He pressed his body closer to hers, his hand running down her side gently, tugging on her dress, bringing it up above her thighs, gathering at her waist. Her hands caressed his neck gently when she felt his tongue enter her mouth, and she couldn't hold back a moan at the feeling. Violet wanted to give herself to Tate so badly, but she couldn't surpass the nerves every time they got close to that point. She trusted him with everything she had, and just knowing that he was willing to wait made her want to do it even more.

Tate dragged his lips down her jawline before landing on her neck, nipping at the soft skin there. Violet released a sound of pleasure at the feeling, and as he moved down her body slightly, she felt what was being confined behind his jeans brush against her thigh. She moaned quietly just at the thought of it. Tate smirked against her skin, leaning back a bit. "I'm gonna make you feel amazing, Vi," he told her, his voice was seductive even without his trying.

Violet bit her lip and watched as he sat back on his knees, his fingers sliding across the top of her tights before beginning to pull them down over her thin legs. He wanted so badly to remove her dress entirely and find what was being concealed, but that was for another time. He wanted to make her feel good, and he knew that eventually he'd be able to see all of her.

She lifted her hips, allowing him to remove her thin articles of clothing that covered her heated flesh. Her face turned pink and she shut her eyes tightly when she realized that he was looking at the most private part of her. He leaned down again and kissed her lips passionately, his hand traveling up and down her thigh slowly. "You're beautiful, you never have to hide from me," he whispered against her lips. She slowly opened her eyes to find his dark ones staring back into hers. His lids were hooded and she assumed she looked the same way. He remained there as he let his hand find it's way to the spot between her legs.

He ghosted his fingers across her folds, and watched as her face contorted slightly in surprise and pleasure. He smirked at the girl below him as he dragged his fingers back and forth agonizingly slow. Violet licked her lips before letting her jaw fall slightly open again. Tate pecked her lips quickly before moving back down her body, letting his face rest against one of her thighs. He glanced at her face once more before his mouth moved to her wet heat. She instantly let out a moan, her hips lifting to meet his lips automatically.

His tongue darted out, covering the expanse of her flesh before moving to rest against her bundle of nerves. He began flicking his tongue quickly over that spot, smiling to himself at her breathy gasps of his name. He felt her hands tangle in his hair and it only encouraged him. He licked his way back down to her entrance before plunging his tongue inside of her, hearing her moan his name loudly. She bucked her hips up against him again and he let out a quiet chuckle, and although Violet didn't hear it she definitely felt the vibrations.

She could already feel her release building inside of her, and the feeling of Tate's tongue against her was almost too much to handle. Tate knew that she was close. He moved his arms around either of her thighs and held onto them tightly so that she couldn't move away from him. He returned his attention to her swollen nub and moved his tongue around it rapidly. "Tate," Violet moaned his name loudly, her hands pulling at his soft curls as she pushed her head back into the pillow.

Tate continued to lick and suck that same spot as she grinded her hips against him, inhaling several sharp breaths as her orgasm rocked through her body. She cried out his name over and over again as he didn't let up from his ministrations until he was sure she rode out her high. He smirked when he noticed that her thighs were quivering on either side of his face, and he caressed them gently, licking his lips as he moved back up to her face.

Her eyes were shut and her jaw was still slack as she continued inhaling quickly. He smirked at the sight of her, pulling her dress down a bit over her exposed skin before laying down next to her. After a moment, she opened her eyes and turned to face him. "Did you like that?" he teased, touching her face gently. She could only nod, still lost in her euphoric state. He chuckled and pecked her lips, pushing her hair out of her face.

They laid there for several minutes, and once Tate heard that Violet's breathing had returned to normal, he cleared his throat. "Vi, I've been wanting to ask you something," he began, sending her a huge smile. Her eyes widened slightly as he began to speak again. "Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, and a goofy smile lit up his face, his dimples enhancing it. Violet almost wanted to cry, she felt so happy. "Finally," she giggled, moving closer to him and kissing his lips. "Of course, Tate," she smiled, running her hand through his blonde hair. "I'd love to," he grinned, pressing his lips against hers in a chaste kiss.


End file.
